This Is A Tough One

Just over three weeks into the recovery phase after Leadville and I can tell that I am going to take a long time to fully bounce back.  In the past it seems to take me right at seven weeks to bounce back from a 100 miler and all I can say is that after three weeks I am completely fricking miserable.

Physically I feel fine.  Still a touch of the goofy numbness in my right foot but overall physically, everything is intact, no injuries etc.  It is just that I am so damned tired right now.  All the time. Worse than being tired is being unmotivated which is a sensation that I am not used to feeling.

Just tired.... tired, tired, tired.  Lost... again it is that post 100 mile untethered feeling that I usually get.. nothing to hold onto and nothing on the horizon.  Last September I manged to sqeeze in 300 miles somehow... this September I will be lucky if it is half that amount.  This only brings up the question... do I take considerable more time off or do I try to work my way through this now and hope to ultimately build up my momentum again? If it is truly a choice between two evils, I think that I would rather just start moving again and feel like shit as opposed to doing nothing and feeling like shit anyway.  At least if I am running I will have some satisfaction that I am doing something.

My plans for next year are sort of morphing and to be honest, they are going in directions that I would have never guessed and I really can't explain.  Of course nothing is decided one way or the other until the Hardrock 100 lottery in December which is three months away.

So... I'll do a short run today, track workout tomorrow... then short runs through the rest of the week. Pacing at Run Rabbit Run this weekend for 28 miles and that will be fun.  I am leaving COS at 16:00 on Friday afternoon if anyone would like to ride up to Steamboat with me. 

JT sent me this pic last week that we took of Annie and I at the LT100 finish as I was waiting to get into the car.  I'm sure that her being gone and adjusting to all of that is weighing on me as well.   I still can't believe I have a kid in College...  

Annie and I in Leadville.. I have no clue where the blanket came from but it sure is special.